William w



(NoModL) W. W. BUTTON.

SNOW PLOW. No. 245,442. Patented Aug. 9,1881. I

o 0 Q Q Q WITNESSES: INVENTOR:

' ATTORNEYS.

N4 PETERS PhoXo-Lvlhognphm'. Washington. 0.1:. i

NITED STATES PATENT FFlfiEo WILLIAM W. BUTTON, OF SHENANDOAH, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO P. H. MENTZER, JOHN MENTZER, AND THOMAS J. MENTZER, OF SAME PLACE.

SNOW- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PLOW.

Patent N0. 245,442, dated August 9, 1881.

Application filed May 5, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. BUTTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Shenandoah, in the county of Page and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad Snow-Flows, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in railroad snow-plows in which hinged and ad- IO justable wings are used.

Heretofore it has been the practice to con struct such plows to operate in oneoftwo waysviz., by pushing and packing the snow upon either side of the plow through means of a wedge-shaped share orbyconductingthe snow up an inclined plane and emptying it to either side of the track. Both of these methods labor under the disadvantage of requiring an immense amount of propulsive force-the first because of the packing of the snow in front of the plow and the second because of the great power required to lift the snow to a sufficient elevation for discharge from the sides. A still further diliicultyis experienced with such plows when snow-bound-an event of frequent occurrence onthe Pacific roadsfor in such case, said plow being constructed to work only in one direction, no matter how close to a station it may be, unless pointed toward the latter, it

0 will be utterly unable to reach it.

The object of my invention is to overcome the aforesaid difficulties and to construct a plow which shall be easily worked, capable of being driven equally well in either direction,

5 simple in structure, and notliable to fall out of repair.

My invention consists in affixing a heavy iron beam to the platform of a fiat car and attaching to its extremity a vertical support.

To this support is riveted a vertical knife or cutter, extending from within an inch or more of the ground up to any desired height. In the rear of the cutter two wings are strongly hinged to the beam, and held in position and 4 5 adjusted by chains attached thereto and passing around a Windlass, said Windlass being fastened to the beam near its interior extremity. By this construction, when the plow is driven into the snow the wings are forced backward until nearly flat against the beam; but upon the plow being backed the wings are spread apart until nearly at right angles to the track and drawn backward as far as desired, when, the full slack being givento the chains, the snow passes laterally along the reversed inclined faces of the wings and is banked upon either side of the track.

My invention further consists in bolting saidiron beam to a turn-table fixed in the middle of the platform of said car, and in providing the car near either end with segmental iron ways, the latter having perforations to receive a pin passing through the beam, whereby the plow can be reversed, so as to work equally well in either direction.

In the drawings, Figure l is a transverse longitudinal view. Fig. 2 is a plan view.

Similar letters refer to corresponding parts.

Arepresents the platform of the car, upon which the apparatus of the plow is mounted.

B is a turn-table of ordinary construction, and 0 is the iron beam, bolted to the center of said turn-table bybolts c, and extending twelve or more feet beyond the end of the car.

D are segmental iron ways, bolted to the platform near either end of the car, and provided with perforations to receive the pin E, which pin prevents lateral movement of the plow-beam.

F is the vertical knife or cutter, made of iron orsteel, and fitting the wedge end ofthe beam 0.

G are supports or stays, through the ends of which and the end of the beam runs the rod H, and to the latter are hinged the wings J. These wings may, however,.be hinged in any other way desired, this being no part of my invention. To the outside edges of the wings are attached the chains K, which pass around the drums of the Windlass M.

O is a ratchet-wheel rigidly attached to the axle of the windlass, and N is a pawl working in the teeth of said ratchet-wheel, and preventing the wings J from being drawn too far toward the front when the car is backed.

P are the handles of the Windlass, by which the wings are adjusted; and R are braces to help support the strain upon the axle of the Windlass.

S is an ordinary snow-plowshare, which may or may not be aifixed to the end of the car, as convenience or necessity may dictate.

The operation of my invention is as follows: When the plow is driven forward through the snow the wings J are folded backward along thesides of the beam. Having advanced sufiicientlyfar to bring the snow to the front wheels, the car is backed, when the wings gradually spread, swinging outward and forward until not quite at right angles to the sideof the plowbeam, when they are stopped by the chains K,

the latter held in place by the ratchet-wheel and pawl O N. The snow then is pulled backward as far as desired, when the wings are entirely reversed and the snow glides along the inclined faces of the wings and is banked upon either side of the track.

Should it be desired to turn the plow to either side, it is only necessary to partially withdraw the pin E, push the beam to the side as far as required, and drop said pin through any other of the holes in the segmental way, when the plow is at once ready for operation; or should it be desired to run the plow in a direction opposite to that before pursued, the pin may be removed, the beam pushed around a half-revolution of the turn-table, and the pin dropped into one of the holes of the second segmental way.

By the peculiar construction of my machine it will'be seen that it may be used in the heaviest snow gorges and banks without danger of becoming stalled, whereas with the plows now in use an extraordinarily deep gorge or bank presents an impassable obstacle and prevents all travel over the road. Moreover, by pivoting the beam of the plow it will be readily recognized that the plow may be easily reversed, and so made effective in either direction of the road.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to procure by Letters Patent, is

1. A snow-plow consisting of the turn-table B, beam 0, ways D, pin E, cutter F, wings J, chains K, and Windlass M, provided with ratchet-wheel O and pawl N, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. The combination, with the beam 0, of the wings J and chains K, substantially as described, whereby when the plow moves forward the wings are folded, and when backward the wings are opened and held in an inclined position and the snow drawn backward and discharged upon either side.

3. The combination, with the beam 0, bolt 0. and turn-table B, of the pin E and perforated ways D, substantially as described, whereby the plow may be turned to either side and fixed in position, as set forth.

4. The combination, with the beam 0, wings J, and chains K, of the Windlass M, provided with ratchet-wheel O, pawl N, and handles P, substantially as described, whereby the wings may be adjusted.

WILLIAM WATSON BUTTON.

Witnesses:

J OHN MENTZER, W. D. HALL. 

